Sam Lang is one of the UK’s most prolific producers, before moving to the United States Sam worked behind the scenes on leading shows such as So You Think You Can Dance (BBC) and Railroad Alaska (Discovery). A highly diverse career, his shows have been watched by millions. He took some time out to discuss his career as a producer with Noam Friedlander (as well as dishing some stories of the celebrities he’s met along the way )…

How did you start out in TV?

I always knew I wanted to make things and was considering carpentry as a career but an opportunity to get some work experience on a Channel 4 Pilot back in the UK. I was lucky, unlike so many other pilots, the show was commissioned, and it became a TV series called Boys & Girls. I was offered a job and immediately promoted to a Location Runner. It was hard work, extremely exciting and the start of my career.

Following that, what would you say your ‘Big Break’?

I would have to say that job on Boys & Girls because it was such an opportunity. I was handed a camera and asked to film and… it turns out I was pretty good at it. The moment I saw my work on TV, I knew that I had found my calling.

Any cautionary tales from your years in production?

I once paid a hotel employee one hundred dollars to find a grasshopper that we needed on set the next morning. It was hard to reconcile that expense.

What would you say your three biggest projects were?

Coopers Treasure was huge and such a wild adventure as we hunted for Christopher Columbus’ sunken fleet and billions of pounds worth of treasure in the South Caribbean. We never knew what we would find or how successful the hunt would be, but then we found five pirate cannons in the Bahamas, which was incredible.

Another show was America’s Back Yard Gold, which was part of the GoldRush franchise, and, once again, our host was searching for treasure. Until I started working on this franchise, I didn’t realize that there’s an estimated $3 trillion of gold still undiscovered in the United States! It’s utterly incredible, and our host got to show everyday Americans where to look. It was fascinating to work on and creating anything new in the Goldrush space is a challenge because it’s one of Warner Bros Discovery’s highest rated series, with over 100 million global viewers. I’m proud of the series we created as it proved to be hugely successful.

One of my latest shows isn’t out yet, but it was a huge project. Neil and Martin’s Bon Voyage stars two well-known British actors, Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey, and our series reunites them 30 years after they appeared together on the popular TV series Men Behaving Badly. The show had such a cult following I know this show’s going to do well as the two actors are massively popular in the UK.

How would you measure the commercial success of your shows?

One of the best ways of measuring success would be number of viewers, it is getting harder and harder to get figures as the streaming networks don’t release numbers, but I know that in 2023, all the series in theGoldrush franchise, including our show, totalled over 140 million viewers, that’s a huge amount. I’d say that another way of measuring success is whether the show gets renewed for a second season, especially in this cutthroat business. Murder in the Heartland went on to record a total of six seasons, which clearly shows how popular the show was. Then there’s New Lives In The Wild, where one of my episodes received a large amount of press coverage, after a former British paratrooper raised £500,000 for charity. Getting that kind of notice not only helps promote the show but also is a strong indicator of success.

What’s the worst piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?

“Don’t take a tripod, you won’t need it.”

What advice would you give to others in your field?

Diversify – it’s more important than ever that as a freelancer, you can work in different roles, in different genres, outputs and territories. Also, as a general rule, get the aisle seat. Every time.

Any celebrity run-ins over the years?

Well, Michael Caine made me a cup of tea whilst I filmed him in his home. Ozzy Osborne sung me some of the Black Sabbath catalogue whilst we drove through Beverly Hills and we chatted about my kids. And, then there’s Dean Cain, aka Superman, I’m proud to say that he couldn't keep up with me on the mountains of Austria when I filmed him skiing on Channel 4's 'The Jump'. Good to know I’m a better skier than Superman!

Apart from drinking tea with Michael Caine, what is your proudest achievement to date?

I’ve never been seasick, which is impressive as I film off a lot of boats and have experienced all kinds of weather conditions. A couple of years ago I achieved my goal to shoot a feature documentary. That was definitely on my bucket list and then, I’d add, having my name on the same credit list as Steven Spielberg. The man is an icon.

How would your peers describe you?

Laidback but also, unable to sit still. I fidget. But not when holding a camera, obviously.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

Listen to people and collaborate. A lot of people don’t and that’s a mistake.

What projects have you recently completed?

I got to direct Inside Grand Rapids PD, that’s the working title, for ID. It’s a new, active true crime series, which follows the Major Crimes Unit as they work their cases. As I mentioned earlier, there’s the three-part travelogue series for UKTV with Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey, and the show America’s Backyard Gold.

What projects are you hoping to work on in the near future?

I recently got a job directing the ongoing True Crime series Body Cam for ID and then, I’m writing and pitching a feature documentary about the power of perspective and resilience. I’ve been working in the United States on a work visa and, if it’s renewed, I’d like to keep working in the documentary and reality field.